Clownfish help!!

[ChiTownRomeo]

OK so my tank has been up for 4 months now. I purchased a pair of False Perc Clowns from a breeder on ebay. For the last 3 months the clowns do NOTING but go up and down the glass, around a powerhead and back and go back up and down the glass. Do I have a retarded clown? One clown got big and the other is still small. The smaller one is the crazy one. They are maybe inch and half and they have a big 4 foot tank. It's a waste of space cause all they do is stay to the left of the tank and go up and down the glass. I got some Xenia, GSP, and GBTA, they won't even look at it as far as hosting it. Do I just have retarded clowns? Maybe tank rased clowns don't have the natural instinct to host.

 

[Coralbeauty81]

OK so my tank has been up for 4 months now. I purchased a pair of False Perc Clowns from a breeder on ebay. For the last 3 months the clowns do NOTING but go up and down the glass, around a powerhead and back and go back up and down the glass. Do I have a retarded clown? One clown got big and the other is still small. The smaller one is the crazy one. They are maybe inch and half and they have a big 4 foot tank. It's a waste of space cause all they do is stay to the left of the tank and go up and down the glass. I got some Xenia, GSP, and GBTA, they won't even look at it as far as hosting it. Do I just have retarded clowns? Maybe tank rased clowns don't have the natural instinct to host.

I have had housed percula clownfish pairs on a few different occasions, I found one was also smaller then the other. They should introduce a mated pair at the same time. As they can have issues if not. My clown seem to hang out in the same area of the tank on most occasions. It has claimed that surrounding as its home in the tank. It does however seem to enjoy hanging out in my blue and pink spotted shrimp gobys home in the bottom of the rock/ sand bed.

 

[Coralbeauty81]

I have had housed percula clownfish pairs on a few different occasions, I found one was also smaller then the other. They should introduce a mated pair at the same time. As they can have issues if not. They don't grow at a fast rate .. My clown seem to hang out in the same area of the tank on most occasions. It has claimed that surrounding as its home in the tank. It does however seem to enjoy hanging out in my blue and pink spotted shrimp gobys home in the bottom of the rock/ sand bed. Does the fish seem stressed? You've check all your levels ?

 

[Guero607]

It just takes time one day they will swim by and feel the Anemone and like it and start slowly Hosting it that's what happened to me

 

[squidward]

It just takes time one day they will swim by and feel the Anemone and like it and start slowly Hosting it that's what happened to me

I would move the power head or somehow get flow pointed in the direction they are at . Force them out

 

[Crystal A]

Clowns just normally act weird. The size difference is normal. The larger of the two will be the female and the smaller will become the male. All clowns are born female I belive. As far as the swimming pattern it's normall. A lot of clowns pick a spot they like and swim eraticly in it. Usually it around power heads at least that's what mine do. As far as the nem it's harder to get tank raised clowns to host. I've had a nem in my tank for months and they haven't noticed it. Clowns will be clowns that's why they are called clowns! Lol

 

[Jake337]

Clowns just normally act weird. The size difference is normal. The larger of the two will be the female and the smaller will become the male. All clowns are born female I belive. As far as the swimming pattern it's normall. A lot of clowns pick a spot they like and swim eraticly in it. Usually it around power heads at least that's what mine do. As far as the nem it's harder to get tank raised clowns to host. I've had a nem in my tank for months and they haven't noticed it. Clowns will be clowns that's why they are called clowns! Lol

All clowns are born sexless juveniles.

 

[Schism]

All clowns are born sexless juveniles.

Actually all clowns are born non-breeding males.

Little tid bit from wikipedia below.

"Each group of fish consists of a breeding pair and 0–4 non-breeders. Within each group there is a size-based hierarchy: the female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends.[4] They exhibit protandry, meaning each fish is born male, but will only change to female if the sole breeding female dies. If the female dies, the breeding male changes sex, becomes the breeding female and the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male."

 

[uh.oh...]

And you can even extrapolate that out further. If you have clowns that have been kept in solitude, chances are that clown is female. Either because it was to begin with, or it did it's sex change thing, because if there are no females around a clown will become female. It's more probable she would meet up with a male clown in the wild that way.

So to relate this to our aquariums, often times we get two female clowns. Maybe you have one that's been alone too long, or the lfs kept it alone. Then if you get another clown, that's also been all lonely at that lfs you have a fight on your hands. Clowns don't change back.

 

[Crystal A]

Thanks for clarification schsim. I couldn't remeber exactly how it worked. The one thing I was sure of was that the larger is female.

 

[Schism]

Thanks for clarification schsim. I couldn't remeber exactly how it worked. The one thing I was sure of was that the larger is female.

Np, it is rather confusing

 

[ChiTownRomeo]

Thanks everyone for the info. I'll try pointing to powerhead to where they are to force them out. They have this huge tank and only stay in one part of it lol.

 

[BallinCrew10]

If you force them out of that spot they're either not going to leave or just pick another spot and do they same thing. They're not a hugely active fish. Mine are currently alone in a 75 gallon and hardly ever go past the middle of the tank, it's how they are. I'd leave them alone.

 

[Beengirl]

If you force them out of that spot they're either not going to leave or just pick another spot and do they same thing. They're not a hugely active fish. Mine are currently alone in a 75 gallon and hardly ever go past the middle of the tank, it's how they are. I'd leave them alone.

I agree. If that's where they're happy and feel safe, I'd leave them alone. They'll just pick another corner to stay in and maybe not be happy there. My clown hangs at the back corner behind the rocks where she sleeps sometimes, it's not great for viewing, but it's what makes her happy.

 

[Lance75]

I have two clowns in. 215 gallons tank And all they do are hanging out at the bottom left corner by the rocks. They come up when feeding time. That's about it. I don't think they ever swim to the right Side of my tank

 

[squidward]

I agree. If that's where they're happy and feel safe, I'd leave them alone. They'll just pick another corner to stay in and maybe not be happy there. My clown hangs at the back corner behind the rocks where she sleeps sometimes, it's not great for viewing, but it's what makes her happy.

Yea I say f that what's the point in having fish if they swim in a corner ? Don't get me wrong I love my fish but that won't fly in my tank I will trade them quick lol ( if their happy ? ) you guys are hilarious.